Many sales agents go into the close too soon, while others don’t close at all. Attempting to close a sale before a prospect is mentally ready can destroy the relationship. All prospects have questions as they approach a major decision; therefore, the agent must answer these questions before they can proceed.
Think of a baseball game. A player must touch all the bases before a point is scored. Skip a base, and you’ve lost an opportunity to score.
After the prospect tells the agent they like one of the two choices (remember the agent has narrowed the selections down to two) ask, “Mr. Prospect, what is it about this property you like better than the other one?”
The agent is getting the prospect to solidify their decision by verbally expressing what they like most about their choice. An added benefit is if a couple is making the buying decision, the chance the unsold partner becomes sold by his partner increases significantly with this question.
Ninety-five percent of the population has difficulty making decisions. They can deflect making a buying decision by stating, “I need to think about this” to the agent. This is a way a prospect can reduce the stress felt.
The best way to help reduce this stress is with the “Let’s Pretend” approach. Start by saying:
“Mr. Prospect, I can see you really like this property. Let’s pretend all the terms you are interested in are agreed to, and you get the price you want. What do you see as the next step?”
The goal is to have the prospect share what they see as the obstacles giving the agent an opportunity to address their concerns and suggest some urgency so that the property is taken off the market.
I suggest saying, “Mr. Prospect, I mentioned earlier that at this price, the property is very desirable and won’t be on the market for long. I strongly suggest we submit an offer to TAKE THIS PROPERTY OFF THE MARKET TO PROTECT YOUR OPTION TO IT. Don’t you agree?”
Nod your head up and down and don’t reply until the Prospect replies. If you hear statements like:
- I will think about it.
- I’m not quite sure.
- Do you really think this is a great deal?
- I need to speak to my family.
- Do you think they might take less?
Proceed with, “I agree this is an important investment so you don’t want to rush into anything. May I make a suggestion? I suggest you take the property off the market so you can have an option to own it if you choose to.”
At this point introduce them to the “paperwork.” Remember to not use the word contract as you want to lower their stress level. By asking the prospect a series of qualifying, non-threatening questions throughout the sales process, the agent has acted as a guide to making a selection which allows for the close to occur.
